Then there were four. That’s all that’s left of undefeated college football teams in North Carolina after three full weeks of action.
As we assemble our latest Fabulous 15 statewide rankings, we’ll continue to lead with that select group of schools that has yet to incur a black mark in the loss column.
We have a strong contingent of 2-1 teams this week behind the Big Four. They make up the rest of our Fab 15, with an appearance of one deserving 1-1 squad (that was within a play or two of still being unbeaten).
Remember, the Fabulous 15 is a unique set of rankings. It’s not a straight power ranking per se. We take all 33 of the state’s college programs – from FBS to D3 and junior college – and try to answer the question, “Which teams are having the most special seasons?”
The schools generating the most buzz and headlines join the ranks of the Fabulous. No team in our state is ineligible. Here’s our latest list.
The NC Sports Network Has Our State’s Sports Landscape Covered
The North Carolina Sports Network is back as a presenting sponsor of the Fabulous 15 in 2025. Get your football and NC sports fix EVERY DAY with great features like The David Glenn Show and the new Bold North State Football podcast.
Check out the latest North Carolina Sports Network content HERE (stories to read) and HERE (videos to watch).
🚨🏈DG's "Fun Facts & Shout-Outs"🏈🚨
✔️ Bill Belichick (defense), Dave Doeren (3-0 start)
✔️ RBs: Rashod Dubinion, Hollywood Smothers
✔️ ECU's Blake Harrell, Josh Aldridge, more
✔️ Charlotte QB Conner Harrell
✔️ D2: Mars Hill, UNCP, JCSU‼️
(👇Article👇)https://t.co/1ZnnfGzbB3 pic.twitter.com/s6himgjqQ7 — David Glenn Show (@DavidGlennShow) September 16, 2025
Fabulous 15 Statewide Rankings | Week 3
- Johnson C. Smith (3-0): Averted an upset at Elizabeth City State, ranked in the D2 Top 25, huge statement game at Virginia Union this Saturday
- NC State (3-0): First-quarter grumbling turned to possible ACC championship chatter by the fourth, third leg of instate FBS bragging rights tour this week at Duke
- Wingate (2-0): Scored a school record and NC season’s best 72 points against Bluefield State, defense still stingy in only surrendering 7 points
- North Carolina Wesleyan (2-0): Early season rushing juggernaut overwhelms first two foes; can they keep it up when the schedule gets tougher?
- East Carolina (2-1): Defense has surrendered just 3 points the past two weeks, including shutout of Coastal Carolina on Saturday, BYU coming to Greenville this weekend
- Elon (2-1): Exciting win at WCU helped quarterback Landen Clark, punter Jeff Yurk earn national, conference recognition, darkhorse to make the FCS playoffs?
- Gardner-Webb (2-1): Receiving votes in FCS polls after second win over SoCon opponent, darkhorse to make the FCS playoffs?
- UNC Pembroke (2-1): Felled Top 20 Delta State, QB Tre Robinson rushes for winning touchdowns in the fourth quarter, living up to Conference Carolinas favorite status
- Lenoir-Rhyne (2-1): Another week in the D2 national rankings after buzzer-beating victory over Emory & Henry, loving their kicker this week (game-winner at the buzzer by Daniel Deneen Jr.)
- North Carolina (2-1): On to “Central” after convincing win against Richmond, defense keeps second straight opponent out of the end zone
- Winston-Salem State (2-1): Big day for QB Daylin Lee and offense against Lincoln, chance to make a statement with CIAA runner-up Virginia State coming to Bowman Gray on Saturday
- Mars Hill (1-1): Sack master Sakarri Morrison preserves win over Carson-Newman with QB dump in OT
- Wake Forest (2-1): Couldn’t hold momentum after hot start against NC State, week off before surging Georgia Tech visits Winston-Salem
- Appalachian State (2-1): Cracks in the armor show in loss to Southern Miss, WR Jaden Barnes among FBS leaders (24 catches, 337 yards, 3 TDs), bye week to heal up for Boise
- Catawba (2-1): Offensive explosion yields 660 yards and 44 points, defensive stinginess yields second-half shutout to beat UVA Wise
On the Bubble
- North Carolina Central (2-2): Bounce-back win over Fayetteville State, Walker Harris throws for nearly 400 yards
- North Carolina A&T (1-2): 12-game losing skid halted with dramatic double OT win over Hampton, Aggieland alive again after two rough seasons
Week 4 Headline Games
This could be the first big Separation Saturday of the season. Our top two teams face vaunted rivals on the road – Johnson C. Smith traveling to defending CIAA champion Virginia Union and NC State visiting rival Duke.
East Carolina could make waves with a home win against BYU from the Big 12. Lenoir-Rhyne will play 2024 SAC runner-up Carson-Newman on the road.
And of course, this week in FCS football brings “The Game” – the annual matchup between HBCU arch-rivals North Carolina Central and North Carolina A&T in Greensboro. We can all but guarantee the winner will end up in next week’s Fab 15.
